How long have you been training in Mixed Martial Arts ?
I have been training since April 2016.

How did you get into MMA ?
I was always a fan of MMA and always wanted to try it. Once my kids started growing up I started training.

Tell us about your nickname “Man Down” and how you got it ?
Just goofing around one day at the gym and it stuck.

When you decided to pursue MMA full-time what was the reaction where your family and friends supportive of your choice ?
Everyone around me supported my decision to train full-time. Nobody has supported me more than my wife Talia DiNella. She’s amazing.

What is your current record ?
1-0 Ammy.

What is your favorite strike or submission to use in a fight ?
Armbar from anywhere.

Who is your biggest inspiration ?
My children inspire me to be great everyday.

What team do you train with ?
South Shore Sport Fighting aka the best MMA gym in New England.

When you are in the cage where do you like the fight to take place do you like to keep it standing or take it to the ground ?
I am comfortable from anywhere. I’m a nightmare on the feet and a hurricane of chaos on the mat.

What does being a fighter mean to you ?
Being a fighter means you’re ready for anything not just in the cage but in life too. The greatest are always prepared.

What weight do you fight at ?
Gangster weight. You pick the weight I’ll fight at it.

What separates you from other fighters ?
I am the baddest, hungriest, most savage Lion out here. I’ve claimed my territory. Now let them try to fight me over it.

If you could have one dream fight who would it be against and why ?
Bas Rutten. He was one tough son of a bitch. You can find out a lot about yourself in a fight against a guy like that.

Who has been your toughest opponent to date ?
The law. These dudes can’t touch me.

What is your mindset heading into a fight ?
TIME TO EAT!

You are coming off a big win in your amateur debut for Cage Titans can you tell us a little about that ?
I owe it all to Bill Mahoney and my training partners. They had me ready for anything considering we didn’t know much about my opponent. Once he showed his karate background me and my team knew he wouldn’t stand a chance on the ground. So I bought him a one way ticket to Slamtown, USA where his flight came to an abrupt end. Just as my trainer Bill Mahoney predicted.

What do you want people to remember you for at the end of your career ?
I want to be remembered as a Baaddd Man! The one people never wanted to fight.

What is your favorite qoute or motto ?
I’m a BAADDD man!

What has been your biggest accomplishment in the sport so far ?
Training with the killers I train with day in and day out.

Who has been most influential to you in your career ?
Manny Bermudez. Giving me tips in the middle of hard training sessions and being a damn good teammate. I am grateful.

Who do you think has had the biggest impact on the sport and why ?
Mystic Mac. He has changed the game and brought the sport more mainstream than any fighter ever.

How would you describe your fighting style to someone who has never seen you fight ?
If the Tazmanian Devil was an MMA fighter. That’s me.

What drives and motivates you to step in the cage and compete ?
Missing dinner with my family and missing bedtime with my kids to train. My absence from my family will NEVER result in a bad fight. It is my promise to my family.

What is one fact people might not know about you ?
I can sing the entire “Let It Go” song from Frozen from start to finish.

When you are not training what do you enjoy doing in your free time ?
Family fun time and sports.

What advice would you give to the next generation of Mixed Martial Artist ?
Train as much as humanly possible. Keep grinding.

Where do you think you would be today if you had never gotten into MMA ?
Idk. Calling my mom collect from Jail probably.

What gets you mentally prepared for a fight ?
Music and high Energy.

Do you have any rituals that get you ready to step in the cage ?
Nothing in particular.

Where do you see the sport of MMA in 5 years ?
Unionized fighters will lead to more money for fighters which will lead to more cable fights for fans.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years ?
Fighting whoever still wants it.

What do you think can change moving forward to make the sport better ?
At the highest level of the sport the fighters need to be better taken care of financially.

Is there anyone you would like to thank or give a shout out to ?
My wife Talia. She makes fight camps so easy for me. The kids are taken care of . My meals are made when I get home from the gym and she NEVER COMPLAINS. None of this is possible without here. She’s the real fighter. My shout out is to her. Thank you darling. You rock, I’ll keep rolling in that octagon.